Largeflower bellwort (uvularia grandiflora) has limited human uses, perhaps the most so of any plant I’ve covered so far. But this is a wonderful plant for spring pollinators, I had to bump it up the list. Large-flowered or largeflower bellwort (uvularia grandiflora) is common in deciduous woods on rich leafy hummus. I see it along …
Dear Wood Folk, You’ve likely heard of or seen the plant bleeding heart. I have some planted over the graves of my beloved pets. Dutchman’s breeches (dicentra cucullaria) and squirrel corn (dicentra canadensis) are the native relations to bleeding heart in Ontario. Dutchman’s breeches have yellow “waistbands” on their upside-down knicker shaped flowers, while squirrel …
In Haliburton Flora, there are 9 clubmosses (lycopodium spp.) listed. Although, since that survey was taken most of them have been reclassified. Genus flipping aside, by narrowest circumscription just 2 of these are lycopods hereabouts, and 4 Ontario-wide. Clubmoss/lycopodium species are vascular plants often referred to as fern allies, closely related to ferns and plants …
In Chippewa, o’kadak or aya’bidjidji’bikugi’sin, the later implying adhesiveness, spikenard is another edible and medicinal plant from the sarsaparilla family. We’ve covered its relation sarsaparilla before and eventually we’ll cover its other local close relation American ginseng. Be aware, sometimes wild sarsaparilla is also called “spikenard” (plus a few others plants too, who are less related!) …
In Chippewa, a’sawan, lady fern (athyrium filix-femina) is another edible fiddlehead in Ontario. It is tricky to tell the edible and medicinal ferns from the entirely toxic and even poisonous ones. And then even the edible ones are often toxic if not prepared correctly. Lady fern (athyrium filix-femina), called upland lady fern in Haliburton Flora, …
Wild chive usually refers to the very same chives you’d get from a seed packet for your garden or from a grocery store. The big surprise – there’s a variety native to Ontario! Wild chive (allium schoenoprasum) is typically a rare escapee from cultivation around here, more specifically it tends to be the European version …